Choose Lip Make up

No matter what the texture, all lip products have three things in common: waxes, oils and pigments. The hard part is finding the perfect balance that looks right, feels good on your lips and lasts to your satisfaction, so experiment with different compositions.

Balm: When worn under lipstick, a balm creates a smooth canvas. (A touch of eye cream also works wonders.) Avoid products with camphor, which is drying.

Gloss: Wet-looking color (in wands or pots), worn alone or over lipstick.

Sheer: Best suited for casual looks, these moisture-laden lipsticks allow your lips' natural color to peek through, explains makeup artist Trish McEvoy.

Matte: "A medium-to-full-coverage lipstick with a flat finish," says makeup artist Laura Mercier. The opaque texture is somewhat drying but also dramatic looking and long lasting.

Cream: Also known as satin. Think of creams as hydrating mattes, combining dense pigment with moisturizing properties, shine and a velvety finish.

Stain: Literally stains the lips with pigment that dries to an opaque finish. Popular with women who dislike frequent touch-ups.

Shimmer: "Shimmers, as opposed to the showier, sugary frosted shades of the past, have a pearlescent or metallic luster that captures light, making lips look fuller," explains Tim Quinn, celebrity makeup artist for Armani.

Long lasting: Cream colors that stay on up to eight hours, withstanding food and drink. The downside: they are difficult to remove and dry out lips.

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